Air travellers using Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are once again watching the calendar with unease after Kenya’s aviation workers renewed a strike threat that could disrupt flights across the country as early as Monday, February 16, 2026. While regulators insist operations will continue normally, union leaders maintain that without swift movement on long running labour grievances, industrial action remains very much on the table. For visitors planning trips through Kenya’s main gateway, the coming days will be critical.
What Is Happening With Kenya’s Aviation Workers
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has issued a fresh seven day strike notice to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the state regulator that oversees air navigation, safety and other critical services. The notice, dated February 9, 2026, signals the union’s intention to call workers out if long standing disputes are not resolved within the legally required notice period.
This is not the first time in recent months that the union has moved toward a shutdown. In late January, it issued an earlier seven day ultimatum over pay and union recognition, warning that it could close Kenyan airspace if talks collapsed. That standoff prompted mediation efforts, but core disputes were left unresolved, setting the stage for the current confrontation.
The timing matters for travellers. The latest notice took effect on February 9, which means the earliest date for a full strike would be Monday, February 16, 2026. Until then, flights are scheduled to operate normally, but the risk of last minute disruption is real if talks fail or if industrial action begins in phases, affecting particular departments before a full walkout.
Kenya’s aviation sector is classified as an essential service under national labour law, which complicates any strike. Workers must follow strict procedures, and authorities can seek court orders to limit or delay action where public safety is at stake. Even so, recent history shows that determined airport staff can slow or stop operations long enough to create significant chaos for passengers and airlines.
The Core Disputes Driving the Strike Threat
At the heart of the dispute is a stalled collective bargaining agreement that union leaders say has been frozen for nearly a decade. The last concluded CBA for staff at the aviation authority covered the 2015 to 2016 cycle. Since then, according to union statements, five full bargaining cycles have lapsed without new terms being negotiated or implemented.
The practical effect for many frontline workers is that salaries, allowances and other benefits have barely moved in more than ten years, even as living costs in Kenya have climbed sharply. Union officials say some employees have gone 11 years or more without any meaningful pay review, a situation they describe as discriminatory and demoralising for staff who manage critical safety and air traffic functions.
The union also accuses management of downgrading positions and placing workers on short term contracts for roles that are, in practice, permanent. In some cases, this has allegedly led to lower pay, fewer benefits and reduced job security. Union leaders argue that the downgrades are being used to avoid obligations under existing or anticipated CBAs, and that contractual staff are often denied benefits enjoyed by permanent colleagues despite doing similar work.
Another flash point involves union rights themselves. The union claims the authority has resisted enrolling eligible employees into the union, failed to deduct and remit union dues for certain staff grades, and ignored court orders relating to the renewal of contracts for union members. For the union, these are not just pay disputes but questions about basic freedom of association and good faith bargaining.
Government and Regulator Response So Far
In response to the latest strike notice, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has publicly moved to reassure airlines, travellers and tourism stakeholders that operations remain normal and that there is no immediate disruption to flights. The authority has confirmed that it received the union’s formal notice and says it has initiated engagement under established labour relations mechanisms to address the issues.
Officials emphasise that aviation oversight and air navigation services fall under essential services as defined in Kenyan law, meaning the regulator has a duty to maintain critical operations for public safety, national security and economic stability. The authority has pledged continuity in air traffic management, safety oversight and related functions even while talks with the union are ongoing.
Behind the scenes, the dispute is now moving through formal dispute resolution channels under the Labour Relations Act. This can include conciliation by the Ministry of Labour, where neutral officials attempt to broker a compromise on contentious items such as pay reviews, job grading and union recognition. If conciliation fails, either side can seek further intervention from the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
For travellers, the key message from the regulator is that contingency plans are being drawn up. These may involve reassigning critical duties to non union staff, calling in management level personnel with operational licences, or coordinating closely with airlines and airport operators to ensure continuity in security screening and ground handling if specific units are affected.
How a Strike Could Affect Nairobi and Other Kenyan Airports
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is one of Africa’s busiest hubs and the main international gateway into Kenya. A full scale strike by aviation workers would likely hit JKIA first and hardest, but the impact would quickly spread to Wilson Airport in Nairobi and to regional airports in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and other cities.
Depending on which staff participate, disruptions could range from moderate delays to a near total shutdown of passenger and cargo operations. Air traffic controllers, safety inspectors, navigational aid technicians, communications officers and other specialists all play roles that are difficult to replace on short notice. If a significant portion of these staff were to walk out, authorities could be forced to restrict airspace use or limit the number of flights operating each hour.
In past aviation strikes in Kenya, passengers have experienced long queues, cancelled flights and extended delays as airlines struggled to adjust schedules. In September 2025, an airport strike paralysed services at JKIA and several other airports for roughly two days before a temporary agreement allowed operations to resume. During that period, some travellers were stranded in terminals overnight, while others were rebooked or rerouted through alternative African hubs.
This time, a prolonged shutdown would not only inconvenience tourists and business travellers but also disrupt vital cargo flows. Kenya is a major exporter of fresh flowers, vegetables and seafood to Europe and the Middle East, much of it shipped via JKIA. Any sustained reduction in flights would have knock on effects for exporters, farmers and international buyers, adding economic pressure to the already tense labour negotiations.
Implications for Tourism and Travel Planning
For the global tourism industry, the looming strike comes at a sensitive moment. Kenya’s peak seasons for wildlife safaris and coastal holidays run during key periods when European and North American travellers escape winter and summer extremes, and when regional travellers converge on Nairobi for business and conferences. Uncertainty around flight reliability can have a chilling effect on new bookings.
Tour operators who package international flights with safaris and beach stays are particularly exposed. Many rely on tight turnarounds and pre arranged connections through JKIA. If industrial action triggers widespread delays or cancellations, operators may face the dual challenge of rebooking international segments and reshuffling carefully sequenced itineraries that link Nairobi to parks such as the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo.
However, it is important for travellers to distinguish between risk and certainty. As of now, no strike has actually begun. Flights into and out of Kenya are operating as scheduled, and both the union and the authority are under public pressure to find a negotiated solution. Tourism bodies and industry associations are lobbying quietly behind the scenes for a compromise that avoids the reputational damage of another highly public airport shutdown.
Some travellers may opt to adopt a wait and see approach for trips planned close to the potential strike window around February 16. Others, particularly those with fixed dates or non refundable components, may decide to proceed but build extra flexibility into their arrangements by choosing fully changeable air tickets or travel insurance that covers strike related disruption, where available.
If You Are Flying Through Nairobi in the Coming Days
For anyone with an upcoming itinerary that includes Nairobi, the first step is to confirm your travel dates relative to the strike notice. The union’s current seven day notice runs from February 9, meaning the earliest date for legal industrial action would be Monday, February 16, 2026. If you are travelling before that date, normal operations are expected, though there is always the possibility of work to rule or go slow tactics that cause minor delays.
Travellers scheduled to fly on or after February 16 should monitor announcements from their airline closely. Carriers typically update customers via email, text and mobile apps when industrial action threatens scheduled services. If contingency measures are announced, you may be offered free rebooking options, route changes or in some cases refunds, depending on the fare rules and the airline’s policy.
If you have booked through a tour operator or travel agent, stay in contact with them as well. Established operators often receive briefings from airlines and local partners before the general public, and can advise whether to adjust arrival or departure dates, modify routing through alternative African hubs, or build an extra night in Nairobi to absorb potential knock on delays.
At the airport itself, allow more time than usual for check in and security if strike action materialises. Having digital and printed copies of your tickets, hotel confirmations and local contacts can ease rebooking and accommodation discussions if you are unexpectedly stuck in transit. While most passengers during past strikes have eventually been moved on within a day or two, those with tight connections or onward safaris may need to reschedule activities.
What Travellers Should Watch for Next
As the February 16 deadline approaches, several developments will determine whether the strike threat turns into actual disruption. The first is the outcome of ongoing talks between the union, the aviation authority and the Ministry of Labour. Any announcement of a breakthrough, even a temporary one, would greatly reduce the risk of immediate industrial action, though it might shift the prospect of a strike further into the future if negotiations stall again.
The second factor is how the courts respond if the dispute is formally escalated. In previous cases, the Employment and Labour Relations Court has sometimes issued orders suspending strikes in essential services while mediation continues. Such an order would not resolve the underlying grievances, but it could delay a walkout and provide travellers with a clearer window of normal operations.
Travellers should also pay attention to messaging from the Kenya Airports Authority and major airlines using JKIA. These actors will be central to any contingency planning, including possible adjustments to flight schedules, staffing redeployment and prioritisation of certain routes. Announcements about schedule consolidation, reduced frequencies or temporary route suspensions would signal that the aviation system is bracing for disruption.
Finally, domestic politics around wages, public sector reform and union rights may influence how far each side is willing to compromise. With aviation workers highlighting more than a decade of unresolved CBAs and salary reviews, and the government keen to project stability for investors and tourists alike, the dispute has become a test case for how Kenya manages labour relations in critical economic sectors.
Balancing Caution and Confidence in Kenya Travel
For visitors and business travellers looking at Kenya in 2026, the aviation workers’ strike threat is an unwelcome reminder that even mature travel markets can be vulnerable to labour unrest. Yet it also reflects broader pressures in a sector that has carried the country’s tourism and trade ambitions through years of growth and turbulence.
The key for travellers is not to panic but to stay informed and flexible. As of mid February 2026, flights at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are operating normally. The union has signalled its willingness to down tools if necessary, but it has also participated in multiple rounds of talks and mediation, which suggests that a negotiated solution remains possible.
By monitoring official airline communication, staying in touch with travel providers and building modest flexibility into itineraries scheduled around the February 16 window, most travellers can manage the risk while still enjoying Kenya’s safari circuits, coastal beaches and vibrant urban culture. The next few days of negotiations will determine whether this latest standoff becomes another short lived scare or develops into a more prolonged test of resilience for Kenya’s aviation and tourism industries.
Until there is clear confirmation of a strike or a formal suspension of industrial action, Nairobi remains open for business. But for now, anyone planning to pass through its skies should keep a close watch on developments and be ready to adjust course if the looming dispute does, in fact, take flight.